


Fire When Ready

by Cantatrice18



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-29
Updated: 2012-04-29
Packaged: 2017-11-04 13:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/394395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantatrice18/pseuds/Cantatrice18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darth Vader's thoughts and feelings as he keeps Leia still and watches the destruction of Alderaan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire When Ready

She struggled vainly, but his grip on her shoulder was firm. He would not allow her to break free, not when he could sense the panic and terror growing within her. Tarkin gave the order to fire, as Vader had known all along that he would, and then sat back to watch the devastation. 

Deep down, Vader knew the destruction of Alderaan was pointless, an arrogant display of force that would inspire more resistance around the galaxy. No one was safe now, not when whole civilizations could be annihilated on a whim. With nothing to lose, the Rebellion would increase its efforts, and every fool idealist in the galaxy would run to take up arms.

Which brought him back to the girl in his grasp. She was stiff with terror, but seemed unable to look away as the beam of green light engulfed her home planet, blasting it into millions of tiny fragments. 

A wave of agony like a silent scream overtook him, invading his senses and nearly throwing him off balance. Emotions not his own shot through his body: loss, guilt, anger, and above all, despair. It had been a long time since he’d felt any strong emotions, and though he knew the feelings were not his own he still ached with the pain of them. He quickly strengthened his defenses, building new barriers around his mind, but as his knowledge of her emotions dimmed he detected the smallest discrepancy, a tiny beacon amidst the anguish: hope. She still clung to hope, even after everything. Vader smiled as he realized what that hope must mean – his prediction had been right. No amount of pain, physical or mental, could force the princess to betray her comrades. She had not revealed the location of the Rebel base after all.


End file.
